Centenarian Lewis Henry Fiset, who survived some of the toughest battles in Europe during World War II and met some of the period's leading figures — including Churchill and Hemingway — is remembered as a proud, good-humored and faithful man.

“He was a wonderful person,” his friend LaDona Farinacci said. “He was observant, had charm and had a sense of humor and headstrong faith.”

After the war, Fiset spent much of his time in recovery after surgeries on his legs. His friend said Fiset, who received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart among his many military decorations, recalled a nurse who kissed him on the cheek, who he met again years later at another hospital.

Farinacci said he did not tell many people about his near-death experience until later in life. It became a way he could share his religious faith, she said.

Fiset lived a humble, quiet life that included the study of Christianity and other religions. But he also maintained a humorous outlook on life, Farinacci said.

“He was an interesting combination of independent, stubborn, humorous and interested in other people,” she said.